Bottle blowing machine



i April 25, 1944. P, cox, JR I 2,347,181

BOTTLE BLOWING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1943 Patented Apr. 25,1944

BOTTLE "BLOWING MACHINE Harry P. Cox,

Armstrong Cork Company,

Jr., Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Lancaster, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application January, 25', 1943, Serial No. 473,444

15 Claims.

This invention relates. to bottle blowing ma constriction in the neck as they are delivered to.

the blow mold from the blank mold are not blown into bottles and may be readily distinguished and.

rejected.

In the manufacture of bottles, suchas thosecommonly used in packaging beverages, for example, the charge of glass is fed to a blankv or parison mold where the neck ring and inner plunger form theso-called finish and corkage of the bottle, respectively, and the blowing is commenced but not completed. The parison of glass is then transferred to a blow mold where final forming of the bottle is accomplished by blowing.

One defect occurring on occasion is the formation of a constriction of the interior of the neckimmediately below the inner neck plunger. This constriction is commonly termed a choke and generally results from insufiicient orimproper corkage reheat before counter blowing. Any choke of major size is objectionable because it' prevents the filling tube of the filling machine used by the beverage bottler from properly entering the bottle neckwith' the result that the filling.

mechanism is broken or damaged. When the filling mechanism'is broken, the entire filling line must be shut down until repair is .made and thus one bottle with'a. choke is disastrous. filling methods require rapid flow of" liquidinto the bottle and as a consequencethefilling tubes. are generally only slightly smaller in outer. diameter than the inner diameter of the bottle neck, only sufiicient tolerance being allowed to permit ready insertion and removal of the filling tube and escape of air during filling- It-is always a cause of serious complaint if bottles are delivered to the beverage bottler with choke necks.

Internal constrictions or chokes are not readily detected in the usual visual inspection of the bottle and as a result a plug gauge must be inserted into the bottle necks to determine if any chokes are present. This is an expensivehand inspection and is burdensome to the glass manufacturer. In addition, it is possible for an inspector to fail to insert the plug gauge and there is no way of satisfactorily determining if any. given bottle has been inspected. Since this defect may occur only at rather infrequent intervals; there is some tendency of the inspectors to be lax in inserting the plug gauge in each bottle. Any single bottle supplied to, the bottler with:an.objec-- tionable choke will cause damage to therfilling machine and result in loss .of production;

Modern The mainobject of this invention-is to provide a device which will automatically detect any objectionable choke in a neck of a parison after it is delivered from the blank mold and is in position in the blow mold and which is effective for controlling the supply of air for blowing the parison into a bottle so that if there bev achoke in the. neck of the parison a bottle will not be blown. Those parisons which are not blown may be readily distinguished by a casual. glance of the inspector or may be discarded by the machine itself or by the machine operator. The necessity for gauging each bottle during final inspection. is. eliminated.

According to one embodiment of the-invention, the blow mold is provided with a. gauge which is free to enter the neck of a properly formed partson but which will be displaced by engagement: with a choke in the neck of the parison, the final. blow air supply to the blow mold being controlled; by the position assumed by the gauge. when in serted in the neck of the parison. In the preferred embodiment, the gauge is so constructed that the final blow air will pass through an open-- ing in the gauge when the gauge enters aproperly formed neck, the air passing into the parison and being effective to blow the parison disposed in the blow mold. When the gauge is displaced by a choke in the neck the blow air is by-passedl through an appropriate opening or. openingstto.v the atmosphere and no blowing ofthe parison into a bottle is accomplished. In another embodiment, the gauge is effective for initiating anielectri'cal device which is effectivefor controlling the supply of air to the blow mold, no air being supplied when the gauge is displaced by engagement with a choke in the neck of the parison which is disposed in the blow mold.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the two embodiments referred to generallyabove' and in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a blow mold and blow head arrangement ofconventional form with the mechanism of my invention incorporated as a part thereof, the view showingthe gauge in position within azparison. having a. properly formedneck;

Figure 2 isa similar. View showingthe gauge in elevated position by reason of engagement with a choke in the neck; and

Figures Sande are views similar to. Figures 1. and 2 showing a modifiedarrangement for electrical control of the blow air.

In the views selected for illustration, a Hartford-Empire I. S. machine blow mold and blow head arrangement is shown. The invention is not limited to any particular type or style of blow mold or blow head arrangement and may be embodied in blowing machines of a wide diversity of types.

In Figure 1 a minor portion only of a blow mold 2 is shown. The blow mold may be any one of a number of forms. It is in this mold that the parison 3 which has been delivered from a blank mold is blown into a bottle of the desired final shape. The parison of glass as delivered from the blank mold to the blow mold has a finish and corkage which is substantially completely formed. For convenience this will be referred to as a substantially completely formed neck finish. It will be understood that some slight formation of the neck may be accomplished in the final blowing but for all general purposes the neck finish is substantially completely formed as the parison is delivered to the blow mold. It will be noted that the neck 4 of the parison in the blow mold of Figure 1 has a substantially smooth cylindrical inner neck surface 5. This is the desired shape and indicates that a proper counter blow has been effected in the blank mold.

Disposed above the blow mold 2 is a blow head 6 which is carried by a blow head holder 1 which connects to the blow head 6 by means of a bayonet joint arrangement 8. A blow head arm 9 is efiective for bringing the blow head and its associated mechanism into position when the parison 3 is properly disposed in the blow mold The blow head 6 and the blow head holder I are provided with openings through which a tube It! is free to pass. The tube I is provided with a gauging end II of appropriate size, depending upon the size of the standard filling tube used in filling the bottle being produced. The allowable tolerances vary to some extent dependingupon the type of closure which will :be used to seal the bottle, upon the thickness of the wall of glass at the neck, and other variable factors. The gauging end II is so proportioned that it will pass freely into a properly formed parison but will engage any objectionable constriction or choke in the parison neck. In Figure 1, a gaugin'g'end II is'shown in a parison having a properly formed neck. The tube It is provided with a central opening I2 which is the embodiment shown in Figure 1 extends throughout the length of the tube but which may be formed as shown in Figures 3 and 4 which will be more completely described later. A cylinder head I3 is fastened to the blow head arm 9 by bolts I4 and the tube Ill is provided with a piston head I5 movable within the bore of the cylinder head I3. An annular recess I6 is provided in the piston head I5 terminating in the shoulder I1 which limits downward movement of the tube Ill by engagement with the top of the blow head shoulder I. The space from the top of the piston I5 to the recess I6 is relatively narrow so that any minor displacement of the tube It! in an upward direction will bring the recess I6 into a position above the inlet opening I8 through which final blow air is supplied from a source S. The air normally enters the bore of the cylinder head I3 above the top of the piston 55 when the tube I0 is in its lowermost position. The direction of travel of the final blow air is shown in Figure 1 by a series of arrows. This blow air is efiective for forming the parison into a bottle of the desired final shape.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be noted that the parison 3 has a choke I9 indicating that insuificient or improper corkage reheating has been accomplished before counter blowing. This choke I9 is of such size as to be objectionable although its presence might go undetected by the usual Visual inspection. When. the blow head 6 is brought into position over the blow mold 2 with the parison 3 of Figure 2 in position, the gauging end II will come into contact with the choke I9 and the piston I5 will be elevated to a position above the inlet tube I8. The formation of the piston I5 and the recess It is such that the blow airv will be effective for lifting the piston I5 to its uppermost position. For sake of clarity of illustration, the piston I5 is shown in a slightly lowered position in Figure 2- with the-gauging end I I lying in engagement with the choke I9. In actual operation the pressure of the final blow air will normally be sufiicient to elevate the piston I5 to its uppermost position. Movement of the piston I5 to a point above the inlet opening I8by engagement of the gauging end I I with the choke I-9 will result in the final blow air continuing the elevation of the piston I5 to that position. The final blow air entering through the inlet I8 is now not free to pass into the blow head since the opening thereinto is in the top of the piston I5 which is now elevated above the inlet I8. Suitable exhaust ports 20 are provided whereby the final blow air is dispersed in the atmosphere as shown by the arrows in Figure 2.

The modification shown in Figures 3 and 4 is generally similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and corresponding numbers have been applied to the corresponding parts. There are two important difierences between the two showings. The primary diiference is in the air control arrangement. In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, control is electrically eifected by means of a solenoid valve H which is efiective for interrupting the supply of final blow air to the blow head. Current is fed from a source C by wires 22 and 23, the wire 22 being grounded to the cylinder head I3 by a binding post 24. A contact 25 is carried by the piston I5 and, when the piston is in its lowermost position, the gauging end II of the tube In passing freely through the properly formed neck 5 of the parison 3 of Figure 3, the contact 25 will come in engagement with a metal contact strip 26 insulated from the machine by strips of insulation 27 and 28. The solenoid valve is connected to the contact strip 26 by a wire 29 and a binding post 36. The other side of the solenoid 2I is connected directly to the source of current C by the wire 23.

When the contact 25 is in engagement with the contact strip 26 as shown in Figure 3, current is supplied to the solenoid 2I from the source 0 and the solenoid valve is opened to permit the entrance of final blow air into the inlet tube I8 and thence into the blow head. When the gauging end I I comes into contact with a choke I9, as illustrated in Figure 4, the contact 25 will be elevated away from the contact strip '26 and the supply of current to solenoid valve 2i will be interrupted. I

The operation of all of the devices shown in the drawing is essentially the same; namely, when a choke is encountered in a parison as delivered to the blow mold from the blank control means are effective for preventing the entrance of final blow air into the blow head. 3

While in Figures 3 and 4 the control valve is with choked necks.

shown as the normally closed and electrically opened type, a reverse arrangement may be provided by means of which the valve is closed when the gauging end H engages a choke 19, the valve being normally open.

The second difference Figures 1 and-2 and 3 and 4 is in the direction of the final blow air. In Figures 3 and 4, the'opening [2 in the tube Ii] which connects the source of final blow air with the blow head does not eX- tend throughout the length of the tube ill. In this modification, a plurality of openings 3! are provided immediately above the'neck of thebottle so that the air which is effective for finally forming the parison into'a bottle must fiow downwardly along the neck thereof and past the gauging end i l, thustending to smooth out any minor constriciton which might be present. It has been found that with the arrangement shown in Figure 1 there is some tendency for the-air which is directed through the passage 52 into the bottle below the upper end of the neck to sharply accentuate any minor choke which maybe present in a small-neck bottle. This is caused by the air which moves upwardlyalong the outer surface of the gauging end ll. With the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air is directed downwardly along the neck and since the body of glass is more plastic in the lower areas spaced from the bottle lip, any minor constriction will be flowed out. With most bottles, the arrangement shown in either of the embodiments may be used with success, but if there is any tendency for the accentuaticn 'of small chokes, this may be completely eliminated by using the tube arrangement of Figure Both of the embodiments illustrated are fully automatic and are relatively simple and positive in operation so as to require little or no adjustment or maintenance. A parison which is defective because Of a choke neck will not be blown to a bottle and may be discarded by the machine itself. Such unblown parisons are readilydistinguishable as they are delivered from the blow mold and may be discarded by'the operator or by the inspector. As a matter of fact, most unblown parisons will be of such misshapen form that they will not even stand upright on a lehr conveyor. An additional advantage flowing from theme of this invention is that the blowing machine operator will be immediately informed of any failure to properly reheat the corkage. When unblown parisons are delivered from the blow mold the operator will know that the machine is not functioning properly and is producing pariscns Adjustment can then be made and the difficulty eliminated. With the present devices the existence of choke necks is not detected until final inspection and this occurs many hours after initial forming with the result that many choke necked bottles may be produced before the operator is aware of the fact that the machine is not forming satisfactory parisons. While the gauging end may be elevated in some instances by chokes which would under normal circumstances be blown out in the final blowing operation, the notice to the operator that even minor chokes are occurring, is more than adequate compensation for the few bottles which may be lost and that the finally blown bottles will not have choked necks.

there is the positive assurance While certain embodiments of r the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to such between the showings of V of a blow'mold in which a-parison tube reciprocable in said blow head embodiments which were selected for purposes 'of illustration only but may be otherwise embodied and practiced lowing claims.

Within the scope of the lol- I claim:

In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of glass with neck finishis movable to a a substantially completely formed received for final blowing, a gauge position within the neck of a parison received in said blow mold and displaceable upon engagement with a choke'in the neck, means for directing air from a source to theparis'on to be blown in said blow mo1d, and means controlled by the position of said gauge for admitting blowing air to said blow mold.

2. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a gauge 'movable through said blow head and into said blow mold and normally connecting a source of blow air to said blow mold, and means controlled by displacement of said gauge for controllin the supply of blow air to said blow head.

3. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, means for gauging the neck of a parison received in said blow mold, said means being normally movable into the neck of the parison to be blown in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, and means for interrupting the supply of blow air to the blow mold when said gauging mean is displaced.

4. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, means for gauging the neck of a parison received in said blow mold, said gauge being normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, and means for controlling the flow of blow air to said blow mold responsive to the position of said gauge.

5. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a tube movable through said head and having a passageway fcr the communication of blowin air to said blow mold, a gauging end on said tube normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, and means for supplying blow air to said tube only when said gauging end is in normal position.

6. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a and having a passageway for the communication of blow air to said blow mold, a gauging end on said tube normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison received in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, a piston on said tube, a cylinder head in which said piston is movable, the passageway in thetube being in communication with said cylinder head, and means for communicating blow air to said cylinder head above said piston when saidgaugingend is innormal position.

7. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completel formed neck finish is received for final blowing, means for communicating blow air from a source to said blow mold, a cylinder head in communication with said means, a piston movable in said cylinder head, means associated with said piston for gauging a parison disposed in said blow mold, said gauging means being efiective for displacing said piston in said cylinder upon engagement with a choke in the neck of a parison disposed in said blow mold, said cylinder head being provided with an exhaust port through which air from said source may be exhausted upon displacement of said piston.

8. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a cylinder head, a tube communicating with said cylinder head and said blow mold, said tube having a gauging end normally movable to a position within the neck of a parison received in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, a piston on the opposite end of said tube movable within said cylinder head, means for communicating blow air into said cylinder head above said piston and into said tube when said gauging end is in its normal position within the neck of a parison to be blown and for exhausting said air when said piston is displaced by engagement with a choke in the neck of the pariso in the blow mold.

9. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a blow head holder, a tube extending through said holder and said head and into said mold, a gauge on one end of said tube, normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison received in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, and a piston on the other end, a cylinder head, said cylinder head having inlet and exhaust ports, said piston being movable in said cylinder head to selectively connect said inlet port with said tube and with said exhaust port to supply blow air to said blow mold when the piston is in one position by reason of the free passage of said gauge into a parison having a properly formed neck finish and to exhaust the blow air when the piston is in another position by reason of engagement of said gauge with a choke in the neck of an improperly formed blank.

10. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a gauge movable to a position Within the neck of a parison received in said blow mold and displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, means for directing air from a source to the parison to be blown in said blow mold, an electrical valve for controlling the flow of air from said source, and means controlled bythe position of said gauge for energizing said valve.

11. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a gauge movable through said blow head and into said blow mold, means for directing air from a source to the parison to be blown in the blow mold, a valve for controlling the fiow of air from the source to the blow mold, electrical means for controlling said valve, and means controlled by the position of said gauge for energizing said electrical means.

12. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a blank of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a gauge movable through said blow head and into position within the neck of a' parison received in said blow mold and displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, means for directing air from a source to the parison to be blown in said blow mold, a control valve for said means, electrical means for opening said control valve, and means for connecting said electrical means to a source of current supply only when said gauge means is in its normal position.

13. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a cylinder head, a tube communicating with said cylinder head and said blow mold, said tube having a gauging end normally movable to a position within the neck of a parison received in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, a piston on the opposite end of said tube movable within said cylinder head, means for communicating blow air into said cylinder head above said piston and into said tube when said gauging end is in its normal position within a parison to be blown, a valve for said air supply means, electrical control means for said valve, and means for connecting said electrical control means with a current source when said gauging end is in its nor mal position within the neck of a blank to be blown.

14. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a blow head, a tube reciprocable in said blow head and having a passageway for the communication of blow air to said blow head at a point above the lip of the parison in said blow mold, a gauging end on said tube normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison received in said blow mold but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, said gauging end being normally movable into the neck of a properly formed parison but displaceable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, and means for controlling the flow of blow air to said blow head responsive to the position of said gauge.

15. In a bottle blowing machine, the combination of a blow mold in which a parison of glass with a substantially completely formed neck finish is received for final blowing, a gauge normally movable to a position-within the neck of a parison received in said blow mold and dis placeable upon engagement with a choke in the neck, means effective only when said gauge is received within the neck of a parison for directing air from a source to the parison to be blown at a point above the lip thereof, whereby the air must travel between the inner neck surface and HARRY P. 00X al i- 

